Transparently, I am not the biggest regency romance fan but I LOVED this one. I've really only read Bridgerton and the Sarah Adams book, but what I like about all three is they feature characters that you can relate to, even in the modern day. I loved this Midsummer's Dream-esque story of people pretending to be who they aren't and thinking that they are stuck with people they don't love. I loved the chracters and their progression throughout the book - I only wish there was more story to tell. I will say that if I saw the cover of the book on the shelves - I probably would not read it - but I loved it and would recommend!

Overall I thought this was a good listen. The premise was fun and unique (to me) for this genre. I liked the freedom the characters got by switching roles and allowing themselves to step out of their daily regiment. I did find the multi-POV was a bit hard for my to handle in audio form. 100% could be a me issue.

This is a solid option if you are looking for a fun, fast, cozy romance with light spice.

I received this title as an audio ARC and I attest I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

Audiobook Review of A Duke Never Tells

A Duke Never Tells is a delightfully cozy and charming Regency-era romantic comedy that completely won me over. As someone who has read more Regency romances than I can count, I appreciated how this story stood out thanks to the hilarious and unexpected situations the characters find themselves in.

While it doesn’t include the level of spice some readers might expect from this genre, I actually found the lack of it comforting. The story itself is strong and engaging enough to shine on its own, which I really enjoyed.

The audiobook narration was also a highlight. Both narrators did a wonderful job bringing the characters and setting to life. That said, I personally found the pacing a bit slow at the default speed and ended up listening at 1.5x, which felt more natural for me.

Visually, the cover is cute, but I did feel the bright pink and green color scheme made it come across as a little juvenile. A more refined palette or even a cartoon-style design might have been more fitting for the tone of the story.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this audiobook and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves a lighthearted, feel-good historical romance.

Suzanne Enoch’s A Duke Never Tells is a delightful Regency rom-com that masterfully blends humor, romance, and a touch of intrigue. The story revolves around Lady Meg Pinwell, who, skeptical of her arranged marriage to the reputed rake James Clay, the new Duke of Earnhurst, decides to investigate his character firsthand. Disguised as her aunt’s companion, Meg visits the duke’s estate, only to find that James has also assumed a false identity as the butler to avoid guests. This leads to a whirlwind of humorous misunderstandings and unexpected romantic entanglements.

The audiobook is brought to life by narrators Kimberly M. Wetherell and Jay Myers, whose performances add depth and charm to the characters. Their expressive narration enhances the comedic timing and the overall listening experience.

While the novel offers a lighthearted and entertaining plot, some listeners might find the multiple layers of deception a bit convoluted. Nonetheless, the engaging characters and witty dialogue make it an enjoyable listen for fans of historical romance.

Absolutely adored this hilarious, mistaken identity comedy of errors. The story definitely seems inspired by The Importance of Being Earnest, but set in the regency era. I love when I read a book and it’s so enjoyable that even though I know exactly what is going to happen I still can’t put it down. I listened to the audio and both narrators were absolutely fantastic. I couldn't recommend this higher if you’re in the mood for a historical romcom with lots of silliness.

Read if you like: Mistaken identity, reformed rakes, idiots in love

Vibes: Bridgerton but funnier

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for providing me with an audio copy of the book.

A quick little trip to spy on Meg’s future husband has turned into total disaster in this very funny historical rom-com. Basically, Lady Meg is in an arranged marriage to a duke with a terrible reputation, so she and her aunt Clara go playing a part of a lady and companion to visit the duke’s estate. Except James is a grumbly sort of duke who is not interested in playing tour guide, so he pretends to be the butler and introduces his man of business Elliot as the duke. We have four different people pretending to be someone they’re not, and it all gets worse when Meg injures her ankle and they have to stay there (and keep up their roles for two weeks). And of course, we get a double romance here with Clara and Elliot pairing off and Meg and James growing closer together, no one knowing the other person’s true identity. It’s mostly funny and sweet and an enjoyable read, especially since we get to see all four characters POVs along the way.

Before even making her debut in society, Lady Meg Pinwell is engaged to be married to the notorious James Clay, whom she has never met. Shortly after their engagement, James' father dies, making him the new Duke of Earnhurst and forcing them both into mourning for a year. Once the year is up, Meg is determined to learn more about the mysterious Duke, recruiting the help of her Aunt Clara to go on a reconnaissance mission posing as a Lady and her traveling companion. Upon arriving at Earnhurst, they are surprised to find the Duke in residence, although the man they believe to be the Duke is Elliot Riniken, the Man of Business, while James is posing as the butler. Meg injures herself in the neglected castle, forcing the two women to remain there under their assumed identities. Soon everyone is falling in love and no one knows who's who in this humorous case of mistaken identities.

This was a lighthearted regency romance that will appeal to readers looking for something fun and silly. The audiobook was excellent, with most of the story coming from the perspectives of Meg, Clara, James, and Elliot. It was really easy to tell all of the characters apart even though there were only two narrators and I thought they perfectly set the tone for the story. My main complaint is that the middle section of the book felt a bit repetitive. Meg would find some flaw in the "Duke," talk about why she couldn't marry him, and then Clara would try to come up with a reason why the flaw wasn't so bad. There was also a minor storyline about blackmail that I think could have been entirely removed from the story. I didn't feel it was necessary to add this intrigue as all of the mixed up identities did that well enough. I was also a bit irritated by how Meg and Clara were both often described as "not like other ladies" of the time. We get it, they read books and Meg loves food, but is light as a feather. Clara did push back on this a little bit, but it was repeated from both men multiple times. That being said, the romance was believable and I enjoyed hearing how the characters influenced each other over the course of the story. It was still very cute and fans of regency romance should definitely check it out.

Love Suzanne Enoch's Romance books. This was more in line with her rom-coms rather than the spicy titles. It was a fun take on mistaken/secret identity, forced proximity, and arranged marriage. This was a fun and enjoyable read and would recommend it for anyone that enjoys historical romantic-comedies with hijinks.

This was an enjoyable listen. The narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life and added to the humour in the plot, I did feel the charade dragged on a little too long and would have liked more of the storyline to be about post-discovery. Overall it was a cosy romance and I liked the little twist at the end! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to an early release of this audio book.

Before entering into a supremely-advantageous arranged marriage with James Clay, the new Duke of Earnhurst, clever, independent Lady Meg Pinwell has to see if he’s really the rake he’s rumoured to be. With the help of her Aunt Clara, they plan some discreet reconnaissance at the Duke’s country estate. Meg will pretend to be her aunt’s maid/companion to see the true state of affairs at Earnhurst Manor.
But Meg isn’t the only one pretending to be someone she isn’t: In order to escape Clara (who is surely a marriage hunter!), James has traded places with the excellent Riniken, the former Duke’s butler. Soon everyone is falling in love with the absolute wrong person! They say the course of true love never does run smooth… at Earnhurst, it’s running amuck
A fun & entertaining book, which often had me chuckling. The narrators did a lovely job, bringing the book to life & I found it a delight. I also did far more jobs than I intended to so I could just keep on listening. Dual swapped identities lent itself to mishaps, miscommunication & whilst it could have become a farce it didn’t. I thoroughly enjoyed it
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this audiobook; all thoughts and opinions are my own

This book was SO FUN. If you're a sucker for cute historical romances like I am, this one totally scratches the itch.
This one has mistaken identities, charming, chaotic side characters, and enough clean chemistry to keep you kicking your feet. The storyline was playful and utterly delightful from start to finish.

Bonus points for the audiobook! The dual narrators brought the characters to life so well, it made the experience even more enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this ARC!

This was my first book by Suzanne Enoch. I loved listening to this book. If you love historical romance with characters that have a lot of spirit. Then you enjoy this book.
This story follows Lady Meg Pinwell, 18, and her spinster aunt, Clara Bosley, 26. The two women grew up together and are close as can be.
Meg is engaged to a man she has never met James Clay, son of the Duke of Earnhurst.
Meg pretends to be someone else to learn more about her betrothed but hi jinx tends to follow her.
I enjoyed this story and want to read more from this author.

A Duke Never Tells is a fun, whimsical and sometimes silly regency romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

I loved the premise of a woman in an arranged marriage going on a reconnaissance mission with her aunt. The focus on two couples rather than one created a heightened sense of energy and interest in the story.

Compared with the steam of Bridgerton, this is slow burn and closed door. However it carries a similar witty dynamic and regency setting. A certain suspension of disbelief is required for the many layers of deception around the identity of both couples. Overall though it made for some amusing scenarios, and had a similar comedic feel to stories like Much Ado About Nothing.

The narration was charming and engaging, the narrators did a wonderful job of capturing the cast of characters. It made for an easy and captivating listen, and was a great way to enjoy this story.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for an advance copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed are my own.

I adore a great historical romance, especially with lots of comedy, and this one fit the bill perfectly. There is a fun twist on the hidden identity trope with both main and secondary character pairs playing each other. The duke has an infamous reputation and through this trope Meg can truly get to know him with no preconceived notions.

The relationship between Meg’s aunt Clara and the duke’s butler was icing on the cake of this story. They had such an emotional connection and I would have read their story as a stand-alone alone as it was so well-developed. This was my first book by this author but will not be my last!

🎧 Narrators: Kimberly M. Wetherell & Jay Meyers
🎧 Length: 12h 48m

The narrators were absolutely AMAZING! They did such a great job of bringing the humor off the page, and their accents made me feel immersed in the regency era.

Thank you to Bramble and Dreamscape Media for providing me with copies of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely love a good historical romance, romcom, but they are hard to find! And if you’re like me, and you’re looking for HR with a good laugh, Suzanne Enoch, has you covered with her latest release, A Duke Never Tells!

Miscommunication, mistaken identity, and sometimes drive me a little crazy, but this one was so much fun! Featuring not one but two sets of characters and have swapped their identities and both sets end up, pairing up and falling in love- while not knowing the actual true identity of the other!

Lady Meg has been promised by her father to marry the new Duke of Earnhurst, but she is not interested in a stuffy old Duke, she wants her season and she wants to have fun and fall in love on her own. With that in mind, she decides to scope out her perspective Duke and learn a little bit more about him with her trusty sidekick and BFF, her Aunt Clara. Together, they travel to the Duke’s estate under false identities, casting Lady Meg as the ladies maid to lady Sophronia- a.k.a. aunt Clara in disguise. Expecting him not to be in residence, while there they are surprised to encounter the stuffy rakish Duke and his young and inexperienced Butler. Unbeknownst to them the Duke and his man of business has swapped places, and are also operating under different identities.

When an accident occurs and Meg and Clara can’t leave after a quick visit, this Mötley foursome ends up, spending a lot more time together and some interesting pairings occur!

I had so much fun reading this book and getting all four perspectives from the characters. The story moves at a good pace and I loved the ending and how they manage to work things out and reveal the identities/love interests!

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Kimberly M. Wetherell and Jay Myers, I found myself not wanting to pause the story since I was so engrossed in it! Both narrators did an excellent job narrating their two main character voices i.e. the two MMC’s and MFC’s, along with the rest of the cast of characters. I enjoyed both narrators and found that they did an excellent job, bringing the book to life and really highlighting the comedic elements in the story.

Great narration for this regency romance. I gave this a go while waiting for the Bridgerton series to become available on my library app. Unlike Bridgerton this takes place largely in one setting and is much more tame regarding sexual content. The identity confusion and aliases reminded me of a midsummer nights dream or twelfth night, highly enjoyable levels of messing around. It did become rather repetitive at one point and I feel it could have done with a bit of editing. The cover was also not very appealing to me but the description and contents outshined this. I could easily recommend this but probably wouldn’t reread it. 4 stars.

This was good enough. It didn’t light the world on fire but still enjoyable. I liked the twist at the end.

This was delightful, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was very silly, and the timeline seemed wildly off, but maybe they were theoretically more efficient back then? The narrators were fantastic (even when listened to sped up). We'll be purchasing this title for our library!

This was an entertaining and enjoyable historical romp - and I loved that it never went any further than kissing - but it was incredibly slow. Now, I enjoy a good slow-burn, and I enjoyed this one. However, I did several times feel like it really needed to get on with the story. There are also several POV characters - the four main characters, and then three minor characters. There really didn't need to be that many POV characters and the minor characters didn't add anything that couldn't have been reworked into the main four. The mistaken identity plot was hilarious and often pushed the boundaries of credulity. Meg and James were both a little silly and Meg was so set on hating the Duke that she was blinded to a lot of things about both him and his man of business.

The audiobook narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life and highlighting the absurdity of the situations they found themselves in. I would recommend listening to it.

*Thanks to Bramble and Dreamscape Media for providing an early copy for review.

Thank you @NetGalley and @ Dreamscapemedia for the ARC. A slow burn romance with a Bridgerton style. I enjoyed this audio very much, the narrators were exceptional.